The Worst Day
by noomma
Summary: It was the Worst Day Ever before Sakuno's birthday and soon it was going to be the Worst Weekend EVER! Or was it? Poor Sakuno, maybe there's a surprise just for you...
1. Feeling Miserable

**Title: The Worst Day, Part I: Feeling Miserable**

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Author's Note (1): Not related to any of my other fic.**

**Author's Note (2): **No real animals were harmed during this fic.

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Wiping a tear away from her eye, Sakuno sniffed as she started walking through the park dejectedly.

It was official.

It was the Worst Day-EVER.

Scratch that- it was the start of the Worst Weekend Ever.

Her heart ached as she sniffed again. Today was just the absolute worst!

It was bad when she went into class to find out that there was a surprise quiz in her English class and then she just HAD to be called on to answer the only history question she didn't do.

It was embarrassing when she dropped a stack of papers for Hisoka-sensei from Ota-sensei in front of the senpai-tachi. But that was all Kikumaru-senpai's fault because he distracted her when he screamed out her name.

It was mortifying when her can of strawberry Ponta exploded all over her during lunch- and in front of Ryoma-kun and Kaidoh-senpai.

Then it was horrible because of her moping about the day, she was given detention by Satome-sensei for not paying attention in class.

Yep. A bad day like this deserved capital letters and not just in the beginning anymore, now that she thought about it… because it was truly the WORST DAY EVER.

But that wasn't the end of it because now it was the weekend and it was probably going to turn out to be the Worst Weekend EVER.

Because she was turning the big Thirteen this Sunday and there wasn't going to be anyone to spend it with.

Just thinking about it made her angrier; Sakuno kicked a stone out of her way as hard as she could and cried out, "It's just not FAIR!"

Suddenly, there was a yelp from behind the bushes then a growl. Startled, Sakuno stared at the bush with round eyes and slowly started to back away from it. She broke into a run when a big brown, mean-looking dog's head poked out from the bushes.

Screaming, Sakuno started to run for her life as she zigzagged all over the park with the dog chasing as it barked madly after her. Once, twice she fell before she spotted a knotted tree with a couple of low branches.

Sending a prayer to all the gods she knew, Sakuno grabbed a low branch and scrambled up the tree using the knot as a foothold. She held on to the tree's trunk for dear life as the dog barked madly at her, angry that she was away from its jaws.

Breathing hard, Sakuno leaned against the tree's trunk and closed her eyes. "This is so not happening!"

"Mew..."

Opening her eyes, Sakuno looked towards the left… and found that she had a companion in the tree with her. Sakuno frowned. "I didn't know that raccoons could climb trees."

The creature with the dark face looked at her. "Mew…"

"Mew?" Sakuno blinked. She looked more closely at it. Oh. It was a cat. "Are you stuck here because of the dog too?" Her heart broke as she looked at the cat pitifully and reached out to stroke it. "Oh, you poor kitty!"

The cat looked at her hand then backed away hissing as it swiped at her hand. "Ow!"

Sakuno yanked back her hand protectively. "That wasn't very nice!"

The cat hissed back at her. Inexplicably hurt, Sakuno frowned at the hissing cat. "Then you can just stay right there! See if I care!" Sakuno swung her head to not look at the cat then glared down at the barking dog. "You mean cat! Oh, just go away!!"

The dog circled the tree as it continued to bark at her. Sakuno glared at the dog. "And you can just go away too! Shoo! Go away! Shoo! Shoo!"

The dog continued to bark at her.

Sakuno sighed as the dog ignored her. Yep, it was officially the WORST BIRTHDAY EVER.

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Author's Note (3): This longer than I expected. It was supposed to have come out on Jan 12th, Sakuno's birthday but Real Life got in the way. It should be done soon. I hope... Anyway, just enjoy!**


	2. Feeling Panicked

**Title: The Worst Day, Part II : Feeling Panicked**

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Author's Note (1): Not related to any of my other fic.**

**Author's Note (2): **No real animals were harmed during this fic.

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It was a bad situation.

Currently, Momo-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai were scolding Horio, Kachiro and Katsuo for losing track of the coach's granddaughter. "Nya! What were the three of you thinking?"

Ryoma Echizen pulled down his cap as he ignored his two teammates and fellow classmates who were being scolded at that very minute. He knew that he had to be there, but there was no reason on why he had to get lectured with them when it wasn't even his responsibility to keep an eye on Wobbly Hips, aka Ryuzaki Sakuno. If it **was** his responsibility in the first place, she wouldn't have been able to shake him off with a ten foot pole but no, they didn't even ask him to keep tabs on her.

He frowned at that thought. It was strange- most of the time he was often dragged into keeping an eye on Wobbly Hips or forced in to making sure that she wasn't getting into trouble or forced to bail her out of trouble, but this time… nothing. There wasn't any coercion or blackmail or orders to keep an eye on her. Zip. Nada. Nothing. In fact, he was only supposed to get some more party favors and leave the babysitting of Wobbly Hips to his classmates. So, why was he annoyed and what was up with that?

"I can't believe that this is happening!" groaned Momoshiro, the power sophomore of the Seigaku Tennis Club. His face contorted in horror as he imagined what Ryuzaki-sensei would do to them of she were to find out about their failure. "We're supposed to keep an eye on her- not lose her just before her surprise birthday party! Argh!"

Kikumaru Eiji, the acrobatic tennis player, wasn't calm either as he grabbed tufts of his red hair in frustration as well. "How could you lose her?"

"We're sorry!" Horio cried out as he and his friends bowed down his head. "We thought that she had an hour's detention- but Satome-sensei only gave her a half-hour's detention! And we needed to get some more supplies!"

"We're very sorry!" Kachiro cried out as he looked at his senpai-tachi tearfully. "We'll look for her at once!"

"Eiji-senpai! We'd better find her," Momoshiro said with a frown. "Or else the old lady will kill us for losing her granddaughter!"

"Nya! I don't want to be yelled at today!" Kikumaru said as he mussed his hair even more with his hands. "I don't wanna! Where could she be?" He looked at his Ochibi and grabbed his shoulders. "Do you know where Ryuzaki-chan could be?"

A slightly irritated look marred the boy's usual calm face. "Why would I know something like that, senpai?"

"It's no use asking him, senpai," Horio said with a firm shake of his head. "In my two years experience, I can tell you that it's Ryuzaki who knows more about his schedule than he does hers." He punctuated this with a firm nod. "Really."

Echizen shot his classmate a bland look. "And anyone worth his two years experience should have found it relatively easy to keep track of one accident-prone, clumsy girl. Really. Ow!"

Momoshiro frowned as he glared down at Echizen. "That's no way to describe a girl who supports you, Echizen. If you do that the god of dates will frown at you and you'll never get a date again!"

"Che!" Echizen snorted as he glared at his senpai. "It's not as if I don't want-"

"Anyway! Maybe she's on her way home, senpai-tachi?" Katsuo suggested desperately as he shot Echizen a look. It just wouldn't do if Echizen said something that Horio would gossip about, especially if it were about sensei's granddaughter. "She sometimes goes through the park as a short cut?"

"But didn't she say she likes to walk past the Oneida Pet Store before she goes home?" Horio asked with a frown.

"She also likes visiting the grocery store on Fridays," Kachiro suggested. "Should we try there?"

His golden eyes revealing nothing, Echizen looked at his classmates. "And how do you guys know the routes she takes to go home?"

Unsure about Echizen's tone, Horio coughed as he scratched his head. "Well, Osakada's not very quiet on where they like to go hang out…right, Kachiro?"

"Oh, you guys hang out with Osakada-chan and Ryuzaki-chan a lot?" Momo-senpai started to tease with a smile. His grin grew wider as Echizen shot him a disgruntled look. "What? I'm just curious!"

"You're not a cat," Echizen said as he frowned.

Taking Momo-senpai's question seriously, Horio shook his head violently. "Not really- it's just that she and Osakada sometimes stop by with drinks whenever they see us practicing by the stream. Right, Kachiro?"

"Yes, they do!" Kachiro said with an eager nod. "And sometimes Ryuzaki will have given us some cookies-" He stopped when he started to feel threatened which was strange when Echizen was only looking at him. "But that's only once in a while!"

"That's nice," Kikumaru-senpai nodded as he pointed towards the park. He was all for teasing his kohai but first things first, they needed to fine the coach's granddaughter or else they would be dead meat. "You guys go find her in the park while Momo and I will look at the stores."


	3. Feeling Bored

**Title: The Worst Day, Part III : Feeling Bored**

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Author's Note (1): Not related to any of my other fic.**

**Author's Note (2): **No real animals were harmed during this fic.

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"For a Friday, it's such a boring day, isn't it, Gakuto?" yawned a lazy voice.

Gakuto Muhaki looked at his doubles partner and shrugged. "Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" He looked at the other members of his team. "Oi, Atobe, so why are we here in the park?"

"That's a good question," agreed a grumpy voice. "Why the hell are we here? It's boring."

"Shishido-san, you shouldn't say that," scolded a gentle voice. Shishido snorted as he looked up at his tall doubles partner. "I'm sure that Buchou has a good reason for us to be here. Right, Hiyoshi?"

"Maybe, Ohtori," Hiyoshi shrugged as he glanced at the team captain as he kept walking with Kabaji right behind him. "Or maybe because he just wants to pull our strings."

"You are here because it pleases Ore-sama for you to be here," Atobe announced as he cast the red-head a bored look. "Ah, Kabaji?"

When there was no answer from the hulking boy behind him, Atobe turned to look at him. Kabaji was still behind him but he was distracted and not paying any attention to himself. Lifting an eyebrow, Atobe frowned slightly as he heard a faint voice and barking. "Some trouble, ah, Kabaji?"

"Trouble? Where?" Gakuto demanded as he looked at Kabaji. He looked around but everything looked quite peaceful to him. "What trouble? Is there trouble?"

"Hm." Oshitari cocked his head up. "You could be right about the trouble, Kabaji."

Hiyoshi frowned as his sharp ears picked up some sounds in the wind. He looked towards the line of trees then at Kabaji. "Are you sure you want to help? That dog sounds mad."

Irritated beyond belief as Hiyoshi, Kabaji, Atobe and Oshitari shared a look of perfect understanding, Shishido glared at the limber tennis player. "What the hell are you guys talking about? What dog?"

"Is there a dog around here?" Ohtori asked as he looked at Kabaji.

"Usu," Kabaji replied with a nod. He looked down at his team captain.

Atobe shrugged slightly. "We might as well go see what the trouble is, ah?"

"Usu," Kabaji said as he started to go towards a line of trees. Atobe shrugged as he followed Kabaji, leaving it up to the rest of his teammates to decide if they wished to follow or not. After a brief moment's hesitation, Hiyoshi followed Kabaji and Atobe.

"Ah, sounds like an interesting adventure even if it is troublesome," Oshitari sighed as he followed Atobe.

Gakuto frowned as Oshitari sauntered after Atobe. He ran to catch up. "Oi! What's going on? What's this about trouble?"

"Should we follow them, Shishido-san?" Ohtori asked with a slight frown.

"Might as well, Chou," Shishido said as he started after his teammates. He walked more quickly as he demanded, "Oi, what's this about a dog?"

"Ah, there!" Atobe announced as he stopped suddenly. "That's where the trouble is!"

The entire Hyotei Tennis Club stopped to see a small girl sitting in a tree as she batted her hand in the air. "Shoo! Shoo! I said shoo! Go away! I said shoo!"

Gakuto whistled lowly. "Man! That dog looks mean!"

"And the poor girl looks scared!" Ohtori said as his heart was moved with pity for her.

"She's a helpless maiden in need of a knight," Oshitari said with a small smile and a far-away look in his eyes. He refocused his eyes to look at Atobe. "We should help her."

"Then we'd better do something fast," Shishido said with a frown and narrowed eyes. "That branch doesn't look at all steady."

Atobe looked at Kabaji. "Do you have a plan, Kabaji? Or would you rather have Ore-sama come up with one?"

"Usu," Kabaji said as he tilted his head.

Atobe nodded. "Very well. This is what Ore-sama has planned…"


End file.
